This invention relates to vehicle seats, and more particularly to a vehicle seat frame which has particular usefulness in adult/child vehicle seats which can be used as either an adult vehicle seat or a vehicle seat for an infant, toddler or child weighing more than twenty pounds (hereinafter child vehicle seat), as desired.
Conventionally, vehicle seat frames are positioned on top of pedestals in a vehicle with conventional slide tracks positioned therebetween. Adult vehicle seats positioned in the front of vehicles are subject to a plurality of United States Government regulations which correctly position a passenger at specified distances from the dashboard, the side doors, roof, and the floor of the vehicle.
Child seats are also subject to a plurality of different regulations which include the positioning and the attitude and facing of the child within the vehicle. Infants of less than about twenty pounds must, according to these regulations, face rearwardly, and thus, are without the scope of this invention.
Additionally, both adult and child vehicle seat regulations in the past have comprised only front and rear collision regulations. Both have now been amended to include additional side impact and roll over regulations soon to become effective. These new regulations obsolete most vehicle infant and child seats and create a need for adult/child vehicle seats which pass all collision regulations, front, rear, side and roll over. Thus, the demand for an adult/child vehicle seat which can be utilized as an adult vehicle seat, but can be converted into a child vehicle seat when needed, bas arisen.
In some instances, the adult and child regulations are inconsistent. For example, the adult regulations allow for the seat to move from an upright position to a forward position. Only the upright position requires a latch to lock the seat in its upright position. Child regulations, on the other hand, may have in addition to the forward position, an upright position and a reclining position. Child seats must have a latch to lock the seat in each of its positions from both movement forwardly and rearwardly.
It is therefore highly desirable to provide an improved adult/child vehicle seat frame.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved adult/child vehicle seat frame which meets all of the adult and child front, rear and side impact and roll over regulations.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved adult/child vehicle seat frame which is simple in construction and is relatively easily manufactured.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved adult/child vehicle seat frame which has a latch which locks the seat in each position in both forward and rearward directions.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved adult/child vehicle seat frame which minimizes the total weight of the seat.
It is finally highly desirable to provide an improved adult/child vehicle seat frame which meets all of the above desired features.